“DID YOU KNOW…

That the huckleberry was designated the official state fruit of Idaho in 2000? In fact, Fourth-grade students from Southside Elementary School in Bonner County proposed adopting the huckleberry as Idaho’s state fruit.”

I found this wonderful huckleberry pie recipe on a the Pie Addicts website — written by a Boise resident.

Since this is a “Idaho Huckleberry Pie Recipe”, I am sure it is the best!!

4 Tbs. minute tapioca (I used as is, or you can grind up for a finer texture)

⅛ tsp. ground cinnamon

¼ tsp. freshly ground nutmeg

⅛ tsp. salt

WASH FOR CRUST

1 egg

1 Tbs. water

Instructions

Preheat oven to 450 degrees

In a large bowl, combine the huckleberries, granulated sugar, brown sugar, lemon juice, tapioca, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt. Carefully stir and turn the mixture until well combined. Set aside for at least 15 minutes so the tapioca can get soft and the sugar dissolves.

Roll out one disk of refrigerated pie dough, to about ⅛ inches thick, and about 12 inches in diameter. Place dough into a 9 inch pie dish. Place the dish into the refrigerator while you roll out the dough for the top. Roll the top out to the same thickness.

Pour the filling into the pie shell, then carefully cover with the second pie crust you rolled out. Trim where necessary and crimp the edges. Lightly brush with egg wash and sprinkle with turbinado sugar.

Bake at 450 degrees for 20 minutes. Turn the heat down to 350 degrees and bake for an additional 30-60 minutes (I baked for the entire 60min….it helped with cutting back the juices). The time always varies! Just bake until the filling is bubbling. Cover the edges with aluminum foil or a pie shield if it’s getting too brown. Let cool completely before cutting or you’ll have some serious juice to contend with when you cut into it!

Our friends at Northwest Wild Foods posted a fun fact post earlier in the month. Here are some of the highlights:

The wild mountain blue huckleberry, or Vaccinium ovalifolium, is a true treasure of the Great Pacific Northwest. The stunning little blue berries are fit to be the crowning glory of any of Mother Natures golden tiaras. Not only are huckleberries a treat for the eyes, but when raw they have a delicious sweet- tart taste that will leave you wanting more. When cooked into syrups or baked into pies, they have a tantalizingly pure and rich flavor all their own that has been a popular staple among countless American families for generations…

What are huckleberries?

The wild mountain blue huckleberry is a perennial evergreen shrub that usually ranges from 2-3 ft tall but can reach as high as 10. It has 1/2 to 1 1/2 inch serrated leaves that start out red-bronze but turn bright green in the Summer months….

Where do huckleberries grow?

The wild mountain blue huckleberries grow in acidic mountain soils at elevations from 2,000 to 11,000 ft. They can be found all the way from Alaska to Washington and Oregon, to Idaho, Montana and Wyoming….

An excellent source of vitamin A and B, huckleberries are great for promoting a healthy metabolism which in turn helps reduce the risk of stroke. They are also known to help stave off macular degeneration as well as viruses and bacteria.

Huckleberries are an excellent source of iron which helps build new red blood cells and helps fatigue associated with iron deficiency.

The huckleberry ensures proper functioning of nerve and muscle tissues, such as the heart and skeletal muscles, due to its high content of potassium. It also helps regulate water balance and eliminate waste.

As a special treat, NW Wild Foods shares a wonderful huckleberry pie recipe.

To make the graham cracker pie crust, smash the graham crackers into crumbs. Melt the 1/2 cup butter. Mix the butter and graham cracker crumbs. Spread evenly over a 9″ pie plate. Refrigerate.

In a saucepan on the stove, place 1 cup of huckleberries, lemon juice, 1/2 cup sugar or honey and 1 cup of water. Heat to boiling.

While the huckleberry mixture is heating, in a small bowl mix the 1 heaping TBS of arrowroot powder and 1/4 cup cold water.

Once the huckleberry mixture starts to boil, stir and let it boil for three minutes. Then slowly pour in the arrowroot mixture and continue to stir. The sauce will thicken quickly. Turn the heat off on the stove.

Set aside 1/4 cup of huckleberries from the remaining two cups of huckleberries. Stir the rest into the huckleberry sauce.

Remove the pie crust from the refrigerator and pour in the pie filling. Smooth the top so it is spread evenly. Return the pie to the refrigerator.

To make the whipped cream, place a mixing bowl in the freezer for 15 minutes. This ensures you will have a nice cold bowl to mix the cream and help it turn to whipped cream more quickly. Pour the whipping cream into the chilled bowl. Whip the cream with a mixer on med/high speed until the cream starts to thicken and form peaks. Sprinkle in sugar about 1 TBS at a time, to desired sweetness.

When the whipped cream is finished, remove the huckleberry pie from the refrigerator. Spread the whipped cream evenly over top the pie. Sprinkle the 1/4 cup of remaining huckleberries on top to garnish.

Food Porn: “This is how we do cheesecake here in Idaho,” posts Idaho Dad. “Smothered with huckleberries, and really just looking too good to eat, although we get around to it after much admiring and photo-taking.” Mmm-mmm good.

“Decadent delight is contest winner” From The Spokesman-ReviewKirsten Schierman of Spokane won the grand prize in a chocolate recipe contest sponsored by DisneyFamily.com. Her Organic Double Chocolate Huckleberry Cheesecake earned her a $2,000 shopping spree at Williams-Sonoma. …

Huckleberry Cheesecake Recipe by delcy – CHOWHuckleberry cheesecake is one of the best i have ever had. The berries make a delicious topping. You can find the berries year around (frozen of course) at …

Phe.MOM.enon: Easy No-Bake Cheesecake with HuckleberriesBy PheMom
My mother-in-law got this recipe from another family member for a no-bake Cherry Cheesecake, and since my husband is such a fiend for huckleberries, and his Mom always makes sure to have some on hand, we decided to top the cheesecake …

Berry Bliss: Huckleberry Bliss!By Berry BlissHuckleberries are relatives of the blueberry and the cranberry they are high in antioxidants, vitamin C, manganese, iron and a good source of vitamin A. They are a good source of vitamin B and helps speed up metabolism and potassium …

Dessert Recipe Ideas: How To Make A Huckleberry CheesecakeHistorically, many a loving couple may have courted while picking huckleberries while in group settings. This makes choosing to make and serve a huckleberry… ——————————————————————————————-

If you would like an easy way to make huckleberry cheese cake, just buy or make your favorite recipe and add a jar of this Huckleberry Pie Filling on top. A wonderfully easy and delicious topping for ANY cake.

… Huckleberries are typically smaller than a blueberry, not too sweet, not too sour, just right. Your huckleberry.

Many types of wild berries have been deemed a “huckleberry,” a term derived from “hurtleberry” meaning any blue colored berry found in the forest. The varietals are now more specific ranging from deep eggplant purple to dark lavender and some are even.

The northwest supplies most of the huckleberries. While foraging for them in the wild, one may have to negotiate with the native bears for harvest.

To make the dough: Whisk together the flour, salt, and baking powder. Add the butter, working it in to make a coarse/crumbly mixture. Leave most of the butter in large, pea-sized pieces.

Stir in the sour cream; the dough won't be cohesive. Turn it out onto a floured work surface, and bring it together with a few quick kneads.

Pat the dough into a rough log, and roll it into an 8" x 10" rectangle. Dust both sides of the dough with flour, and starting with a shorter end, fold it in three like a business letter.

Flip the dough over, give it a 90° turn on your work surface, and roll it again into an 8" x 10" rectangle. Fold it in three again.

Wrap the dough, and chill for at least 30 minutes before using.

To make the filling: Combine all the ingredients in a saucepan set over medium heat. Cook until the mixture starts to thicken, about 5 minutes. Transfer the cooked berries to a bowl and let cool to room temperature.

Preheat the oven to 425°F; place a rack on the middle shelf. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

To assemble the pies: Roll the dough into a 14" x 14" square. With a straight edge and pastry wheel, or a 3 1/2" square cutter, cut out sixteen 3 1/2" squares.

Divide the filling among eight of the squares, using about a heaping tablespoon for each. Brush some of the beaten egg along the edges of each filled square.

Cut a vent into the each of the remaining eight squares, using a decorative cutter of your choice.

Top each filled square with a vented square, and press along the edges with the tines of a fork or a pie crust crimper to seal.

Brush the top of each pie with the remaining beaten egg, and sprinkle with sparkling sugar. Transfer the pies to the prepared baking sheet.

Bake the pies for 18 to 20 minutes. Remove them from the oven, and let cool for 20 minutes before serving.

Linda talks about the many different huckleberry products she has tasted:

I have encountered huckleberry candy and huckleberry barbecue sauce, and last week I drank some huckleberry tea. They’re all disappointing. Nothing matches the taste of an actual, freshly picked huckleberry. These tiny blue-black orbs take forever to ripen, but they have a unique tangy-sweet flavor that makes them perfect for pies and other pastries.

NOTE: If you are looking for huckleberry products, check out these two websites:

To my great surprise, the harvester was a success! The claw slid neatly along the branches of the bush and popped the berries off one by one, leaving most of the leaves. Within in an hour I had come close to filling my little plastic container. Granted, the harvester didn’t distinguish from the ripe, the almost ripe and the green, and there were still plenty of leaves and pine needles in my bounty, but I was impressed!